Vaughan Bassett Art Deco Waterfall Dresser

This dresser was a Craigslist bargain find!  Every once in a while there is a piece of furniture that pops up on Craigslist that you just know has the potential to be a really cool project, and this was one of them.  Before this dresser we had never worked on a waterfall dresser, but after this one we will be open to doing many more.  

"So just like every project we had to decide what would be the focal point of the dresser.  Luckily, the veneer on the top drawer of the dresser was in perfect condition, so it became an easy decision, the top drawer would become the focal point of the dresser." 

This dresser was in pretty good shape, but there were definitely a few things that we knew would have to be corrected before it was ready for a new home.  Almost all art deco waterfall pieces of furniture feature a lot of cool looking veneers, however, over time these veneers will chip away and come apart.  Being that this dresser was between 80 to 90 years of age, there were definitely a few veneer issues.  So just like every project we had to decide what would be the focal point of the dresser.  Luckily, the veneer on the top drawer of the dresser was in perfect condition, so it became an easy decision, the top drawer would become the focal point of the dresser.  

We used the following supplies on this dresser:

• Purdy 3-Pack Polyester-Nylon Blend Angle Sash Paint Brush Variety Pack
• Behr UL260-23 Poppy Seed Interior Eggshell Enamel Paint
• Minwax Cherry Oil-Based Interior Stain
• Stain and Polyurethane Brush
  • There are many options for applying stain to the wood.  However, we have found that using a stain brush allows for more control over the application process.  Please make sure that you have an old rag around so you can wipe up any excess stain that may have dripped on to areas of the dresser that you do not wish to have stained and any stain that may have dripped on to the floor.  
• Minwax High-Performance Wood Filler
• Minwax Paste Finishing Wax
• Bosch 2.5-Amp Orbital Sander
  • Just remember, this is a staple item that will continually be used, so you can utilize this on a ton of DIY projects after you make the purchase.  We decided on the Bosch sander because of the quality of the Bosch brand; however, you can probably get away with a cheaper option if you don't want to invest in a nicer sander, and if you only plan on doing a few DIY projects with it.  
• Gator 50-Pack 80-Grit 5-in W x 5-in L 8-Hole Hook and Loop Sanding Disc Sandpaper
  • Depending on the type of stain that the original manufacturer of the dresser used, you may be able to get away with just sanding down the dresser without using any type of stain remover (This is huge, because stain removers are a pain).  Just keep in mind that if the dresser is not solid wood, then you may want to go with a more gentle approach; i.e., a combination of stain remover and hand sanding.  
• Frog Tape Trim Painter's Tape
  • Frog tape is a life saver if you are going for a more professional look.  Generally speaking, it is a time consuming task to tape up the dresser, but you will be happy that you did when you see the finished product.  
• CitriStrip 32 fl oz Paste Multi-Surface Paint Remover
  • CitriStrip is extremely effective, but we must give a warning; due to the fact that CitriStrip is thick and sticky it requires a little extra work to ensure that all of it has been removed from the wood, and it can be a headache later on if it is not properly removed (for us,  a combination of mineral spirits and steel wool seems to do the trick).  

The first step is to remove the original finish from the dresser, so we turn to our preferred paint stripper, CitriStrip.  We use a cheap paintbrush to apply the CitriStrip, and then we let it sit for a while.  You will be able to tell when it starts to work because it will start to appear dry.  After letting it sit for a while (on this project we let it sit for a couple of hours) we will use a scraper and scrape off the original finish.  Sometimes you might need to use a little muscle to get the paint off. As we noted above, it is important that you ensure that all of the CitriStrip is removed, or it could affect your finish later on.  ​

After we stripped the dresser, we still needed to sand it down.  We started with our orbital sander using an 80 grit sandpaper.  Then we hand sanded with a 120 grit sandpaper.  This process seems to be extremely effective in putting the dresser in its bare bones state.  ​

Once sanding is complete, don't forget to vacuum out and wash off the dust. You don't want to get dust particles in your tape, paint, or stain.

​After we sanded the dresser down, we made sure to tape the inside of the of the body and the inside of the drawers.  It is always important to remember to tape the inside of the body where the drawers will slide in and out of.  We will admit that this is not a necessary step, but if you want to have a re-purposed dresser that looks professional grade, then every detail matters. 

Before the chips were filled.

Once the wood filler hardens, it can be sanded smooth so that it is flush with the dresser's body.

Some of the veneer on the dresser was chipped, so we used wood filler to fix the chips before we painted.  

After the wood filler was sanded down we stained the outside pieces of the dresser and the top drawer with cherry stain. This is actually backwards from how we usually do stain on areas that are close to the areas that will be painted,  but we needed to see how all of the areas would take the stain before we could finalize the our design for the dresser. 

After the wood filler was applied and sanded down, we applied a coat of primer to the areas of the dresser that would be painted. Once the primer dried we painted the dresser and the drawers that needed to be painted. 

We were very excited for how this dresser turned out and are now looking for a new art deco waterfall dresser to work on!